Interview Experience & Practical Exam

[cheer_up]

Hi everyone,

By now, a lot of you have already had your interviews and practical exams from different dental schools. Thus, I think it would greatly help those of us who are still trying to get into one of these schools now or in the near future if you could please shed some light regarding your:

1) Interview experience (eg. what questions you were asked)

2) Practical exam (eg. what you were asked to do)

3) How you prepared for the practical exam

****Don't forget to first mention the names of the dental schools from which you got the interviews*****

Hope a lot of you will co-operate, especially those who got acceptances.

PS. Please do not post anything not related to the above matters. Thanks a lot in advance. Your help is much appreciated.

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[cheer_up]

Hmmm.....70 people have viewed this thread so far, and no one cared enough to post some info.

 

[fido!]

HMMMMM...GOOD POST!PLZ. I REQUEST EVERYBODY TO DEVOTE SOME TIME TO POST THEIR EXPERIENCES IN THEIR RECENTLY CONCLUDED INTERVIEWS...!
ANY INPUTS WILL BE HIGHLY APPRECIATED!
THANK U IN ADV.
prady!

Hmmm.....70 people have viewed this thread so far, and no one cared enough to post some info.

 

[cheer_up]

HMMMMM...GOOD POST!PLZ. I REQUEST EVERYBODY TO DEVOTE SOME TIME TO POST THEIR EXPERIENCES IN THEIR RECENTLY CONCLUDED INTERVIEWS...!
ANY INPUTS WILL BE HIGHLY APPRECIATED!
THANK U IN ADV.
prady!

Thanks Prady. Come on, people, it's not going to do you any harm helping out your colleagues, no matter how big or small your contribution is. This is especially to those who have got accepted into a dental school already.

 

[NileBDS]

Hello everyone
I would love to help out. I know what it's like going to your first interview. It's like you're about to hit a brick wall, and you don't know when.
I interviewed a UOP and UColorado so far. Here's what I have to say
(wait listed at both schools by the way);

1) Interview experience (eg. what questions you were asked)

UOP: Very delightful. Everything was carefully organized, and the staff were ok. They try their best to be helpful and put the interviewees at ease.
Q's: Tell me about your school, why UOP, why pay so much money for school, what are your future plans.

UC: Hmm ... let me just put it this way. UOP was much better organized. This is UC 3rd class for the advanced standing program, so they have limited experience with this kind of program. And boy, does it show.
I would not expect much. I will be re-applying anyways. I need my degree plus the University has a very good reputation.
Q's: How did you know about our program, Do you plan on staying in colorado, what are your future plans, what did you do while assisting, tell me about your family. More personaly Q's if anything.

2) Practical exam (eg. what you were asked to do)

UOP: #8 PFM, #30-MO Amal. (prep only)

UC: #3 PFM, #30-MO Amal. (prep only), several "wax" excercises. They give you two types of wax (red and orange) and ask you to make different shapes of wax on a piece of paper/card they give you. Also they give you a rod of green wax/compound and ask you to carve a box into it.
So as you see, it's nothing you can prepare for. But you will have plenty of time.

3) How you prepared for the practical exam

UOP: Practice at office. At UOP they will give you a booklet detailing every single step of the preps. which they will ask of you to perform, and it is very detailed. No worries there. Just stay calm.

UC: Practice at office.

Interviews: UOP, UC, NYU, UF
Declined NYU (last year), going to UF interview this month.
Accepted: ?

 

[doc12]

hey NileBDS,
great post. thanx a lot for ur inputs.
wish more SDN friends also post their experiences.

 

[NileBDS]

hey NileBDS,
great post. thanx a lot for ur inputs.
wish more SDN friends also post their experiences.

My pleasure Doc. That's what this website is for, isn't it ? I hope the post was helpful.

Hai,
When did they schedule the interview and the practicals for u? can u tell me the kind of shapes u made with that wax and what others made from it? Did they give u wax sheets or wax blocks?
Any help is appreciated.

Thanks.

Hi maniac
I knew out about my interview 10 days before it was scheduled. Maybe even 7 days. ???? . Some of the people I spoke with over there at the interview said they had very short notice also (as little as 3 days). I had to call them repeatedly. I never even got an interview letter. They just told me over the phone that I had one. Then they sent me (and a buch of other people) an e-mail.
There were 2 groups of interviewees. The first one was scheduled for mid June. I was assigned to second group (36 people per group by the way), and was on July 16th (morning interview, afternoon clinical).
About the wax shapes, they were circles, half dome in cross section. Another one was an "S" shape. I'm not sure though. My recollection of the whole event is kind of hazy by now. Anyways, my description won't be of much assistansnce since they may changes them, but you get the general idea.
The wax; type one was red "rope" wax, type 2 was orange (mushy?) wax. The third excercise was something like a green stick of wax and you had to carve a box into it. You know, now I think there was also a fourth excercise with blue wax. This was with the ones which you formed shapes from.
Why are you so concerned ? As I mentioned before, it is nothing you really can prepare. It's a dexterity quiz. These excercises are meant to test your skills, not your training.
I hope I was able to cover all you questions ?

 

[CALALILY]

Hey Nile BDS
thankyou so much for all that you have told us "struggling souls". i cant believe that colorado is so disorganised - but then on the other hand, they have jsut begun the program. however, the city itself is absolutely fantastic though - so i hope that made up for you
have you heard back from them as yet? if not, i wish you all the best!
i am not sure of anyone has asked you this before.. could you please be kind enough to post your stats for us, just to give us a rough idea?
thankyou so much..
regards..

 

[NileBDS]

Hey Nile BDS
thankyou so much for all that you have told us "struggling souls". i cant believe that colorado is so disorganised - but then on the other hand, they have jsut begun the program. however, the city itself is absolutely fantastic though - so i hope that made up for you
have you heard back from them as yet? if not, i wish you all the best!
i am not sure of anyone has asked you this before.. could you please be kind enough to post your stats for us, just to give us a rough idea?
thankyou so much..
regards..

Hi Calalily, No problem.
Hey, I'm still struggling too, and we can all share our experiences here.
Yeah, Colorado state is very nice, lots of activities, and Denver in itself is a beautiful city as you mentioned. Very diverse, metropolitan and has a beautiful lanscape. The new UC dental campus and health science center have been moved just this year to Aurora, but that shouldn't be a problem sice Aurora is like 10 minutes out of Denver, and i'm sure that it's as beautiful and less crowded.
I have not heard back from them as of today. The entering class of ISP were scheduled to start this month, so it might take them a couple of weeks to process and send out the letters, if they ever do .
Anyways, my stats are
I:81, II:82, TFL:273, ECE:2.9, Exp:1yr home/3yr US DA.
I do have to say this though. Stats are misleading. It is true. I know people with better stats that have yet to be invited to a single interview, and people with scores simmilar to or even less than mine that have already been accepted elsewhere. Most schools are looking for a "package". They don't want a very intelligent student that can't speak english or communicate with their patients (TOEFL has no way of gauging your communication skills), nor do they want an excellent clinician with a poor personality and leadership skills.
The only schools that will admit you based solely on good board scores, are schools which are looking for research experience. Thats what they do. Research. They don't place much emphasis on the of the rest of the application, and to give you a hint, these schools don't even require a clinical exam on your interview (ding ding ding).
So, look at your whole application, not just at your scores. What kind of experience you have, reccomendations, extracirricular activities, awards, volunteer work ... you know. And don't get me wrong. Good scores are definately a strong point on your application, although they will not get you admission.
Hope it helps.
Good luck.

 

[cheer_up]

Hi Calalily, No problem.
Hey, I'm still struggling too, and we can all share our experiences here.
Yeah, Colorado state is very nice, lots of activities, and Denver in itself is a beautiful city as you mentioned. Very diverse, metropolitan and has a beautiful lanscape. The new UC dental campus and health science center have been moved just this year to Aurora, but that shouldn't be a problem sice Aurora is like 10 minutes out of Denver, and i'm sure that it's as beautiful and less crowded.
I have not heard back from them as of today. The entering class of ISP were scheduled to start this month, so it might take them a couple of weeks to process and send out the letters, if they ever do .
Anyways, my stats are
I:81, II:82, TFL:273, ECE:2.9, Exp:1yr home/3yr US DA.
I do have to say this though. Stats are misleading. It is true. I know people with better stats that have yet to be invited to a single interview, and people with scores simmilar to or even less than mine that have already been accepted elsewhere. Most schools are looking for a "package". They don't want a very intelligent student that can't speak english or communicate with their patients (TOEFL has no way of gauging your communication skills), nor do they want an excellent clinician with a poor personality and leadership skills.
The only schools that will admit you based solely on good board scores, are schools which are looking for research experience. Thats what they do. Research. They don't place much emphasis on the of the rest of the application, and to give you a hint, these schools don't even require a clinical exam on your interview (ding ding ding).
So, look at your whole application, not just at your scores. What kind of experience you have, reccomendations, extracirricular activities, awards, volunteer work ... you know. And don't get me wrong. Good scores are definately a strong point on your application, although they will not get you admission.
Hope it helps.
Good luck.

Hi NileBDS

Thank you, first of all, for contributing to this thread when no else cares to share anything about their interview experience and their practical test.

It's true that some schools like BU and NYU look put a lot of emphasis on the applicants' scores while others do look at the "whole package"....God bless these schools

Again,thanks so much for sharing your experience and what you know. I truly hope you'll get into at least of them. Best of luck to you

 

[NileBDS]

Hi NileBDS

Thank you, first of all, for contributing to this thread when no else cares to contribute anything about their interview experience and about their practical exam.

It's true that some schools like BU and NYU look put a lot of emphasis on the applicants' scores while others do look at the "whole package"....God bless these schools

Again,thanks so much for sharing your experience and what you know. I truly hope you'll get into at least of them. Best of luck to you

No problem cheer. You're too nice.
I wish you too the best of luck.
Thank you.

 

[NileBDS]

Duplicate

 

[CALALILY]

hey nile..
thankyou once again. yes..colorado is absolutely awesome! it is a really beautiful place indeed and the weather is not that bad either. yes, they moved the dental school this year to Aurora. the new place is meant to be really big and nice. i managed to have a quick tour of the old one the last time i was there, but that was all.
if you dont mind.. and i am sure you have been asked.. do you mind telling us about your scores as well?
who is the head of the international program there now? is is still a guy with really long hair in a ponytail? he was really nice..
again, i wish you all the best with your placements and interviews.also, thankyou so much for sharing your experience here with the rest of us.
regards..

 

[NASA]

hi nile bds,
thx a lot for sharing the info with us...especially for colorado which is a new program and there is no much information about the interviews or the practical exam and the only info we can rely on is the recent interviewees...and u r information has helped us in getting a clear picture of the interview...thank u very much once again..

 

[Dentalmaniac]

Thanks Nile for sharing your experience with us. I am wondering what shapes did the students made for the test? just to have a rough idea what we are expected ?

 

[NileBDS]

hey nile..
thankyou once again. yes..colorado is absolutely awesome! it is a really beautiful place indeed and the weather is not that bad either. yes, they moved the dental school this year to Aurora. the new place is meant to be really big and nice. i managed to have a quick tour of the old one the last time i was there, but that was all.
if you dont mind.. and i am sure you have been asked.. do you mind telling us about your scores as well?
who is the head of the international program there now? is is still a guy with really long hair in a ponytail? he was really nice..
again, i wish you all the best with your placements and interviews.also, thankyou so much for sharing your experience here with the rest of us.
regards..

Good morning Cala,
Where you just in Colorado, or did you interview @ CU ?
ABout my qualifications, you can find them posted in message #9 in this same thread. No secrets here, just trying to help out.
As far as I know, the director of the program is Dr. Chris Harvan. I have not met him beofre, so I can't really tell what he looks like. But I know for a fact that he is still the program director, same as last year.
So where have you applied this year ? And if you uhave any interview experience, can you share it with the rest of us too please ?
Ok, thank you, and good luck !
Best wishes.

 

[NileBDS]

hi nile bds,
thx a lot for sharing the info with us...especially for colorado which is a new program and there is no much information about the interviews or the practical exam and the only info we can rely on is the recent interviewees...and u r information has helped us in getting a clear picture of the interview...thank u very much once again..

Hello ssaug and maniac !
Well, thank you guys for your overrated compliments. I'm not doing anything special really, just trying to help out ! I wish us all the best of luck, and if we all get interviewed at colorado this year, we might even get to meet. That would be nice.
I just wish I was not the only one posting interview feedback here, and more people would come forward with their experiences too.
Anyways, about the shapes maniac, I'm afraid I don't quite understand what you mean by that. If by that you mean what preperations we were asked to perform, then you can find a detailed message about that on this thread. Message #5. If not, then please specify what you mean by "shapes".
Ok, thanks guys ! See you in Aurora !

 

[NileBDS]

Hello everyone.
This is for anyone who decides to go/apply to the Uiversity of Florida College of Dentistry FTD program.
It is an excellent 2 year accelerated program, and only accept citizens or eligible permanent residents. They also give preference to Florida residents.
The first year is composed of classes with DMD students, 2nd year is AEGD training in one of 4 other hospitals off campus (actually different cities). Everyone there is very nice (as you would expect people getting too much sunshine to be) and helpful. Staff, students, faculty and all.
Here is the catch; the program does not give you a degree (DMD/DDS), but rather a certificate. It also allows you to apply for licensure in the state of Florida, and few other state boards. I also would discourage anyone seeking postgrad studies from applying to this program, since certificates are far less competitive in the academic arena than are degrees, and hence, you will be disadvantaged.
All that aside, it is still a pretty darn good program. They have 10 years of experience in this program now, so it should flow pretty smoothly.
Anyways, I have not been accepted yet, so let me not get carried away.
About the interview;

1. Personal interview: Same questions as almost any other interview. ie; personal backround, experience, goals, interest in the program, language proficiency ...
2. Clinical exam: You should know that University of Florida is also famous for having tough clinical standards. While most schools require a class 2 amalgam prep/filling and/or a PFM, UF asks for more. I personally got
a) MOD amal. prep on #20 (lower left 2nd premolar).
b) Class III composite prep an #8 (upper right central incisor) mesial.
c) Complex amal restoration #14 (upper left 1st molar) MODL with missing DL cusp (required to build up cusp and re-establish occlusal/proximal contacts and harmonious contours).
All excercises were carried out in a simulation lab, and teeth were mounted on a Manequin (dummy head). You have aprox. 3 hours to complete all three excercises.

You must prepare for the exam pretty well, and plan for other excercises which may be asked of you. I heard that they also like 3/4 crown preps and that class IV composite fillings are popular there.
I hope it helps, and good luck to anyone who sees this post for future reference, as this year interview session has concluded, and they should be making their decision now.
If accepted, you will get to live and practise in Florida and 16 other states, and go to a prestigious dental school, but will not earn a DMD/DDS.
Anyways, GOOD LUCK !

 

[pinkdiamond]

Nice posting Nile

Hello everyone
I would love to help out. I know what it's like going to your first interview. It's like you're about to hit a brick wall, and you don't know when.
I interviewed a UOP and UColorado so far. Here's what I have to say
(wait listed at both schools by the way);

1) Interview experience (eg. what questions you were asked)
UOP: Very delightful. Everything was carefully organized, and the staff were ok. They try their best to be helpful and put the interviewees at ease.
Q's: Tell me about your school, why UOP, why pay so much money for school, what are your future plans.
UC: Hmm ... let me just put it this way. UOP was much better organized. This is UC 3rd class for the advanced standing program, so they have limited experience with this kind of program. And boy, does it show.
I would not expect much. I will be re-applying anyways. I need my degree plus the University has a very good reputation.
Q's: How did you know about our program, Do you plan on staying in colorado, what are your future plans, what did you do while assisting, tell me about your family. More personaly Q's if anything.
2) Practical exam (eg. what you were asked to do)
UOP: #8 PFM, #30-MO Amal. (prep only)
UC: #3 PFM, #30-MO Amal. (prep only), several "wax" excercises. They give you two types of wax (red and orange) and ask you to make different shapes of wax on a piece of paper/card they give you. Also they give you a rod of green wax/compound and ask you to carve a box into it.
So as you see, it's nothing you can prepare for. But you will have plenty of time.

3) How you prepared for the practical exam
UOP: Practice at office. At UOP they will give you a booklet detailing every single step of the preps. which they will ask of you to perform, and it is very detailed. No worries there. Just stay calm.
UC: Practice at office.

Interviews: UOP, UC, NYU, UF
Declined NYU (last year), going to UF interview this month.
Accepted: ?

 

[queen naush]

whoever plans to apply to Univ of Florida plz keep this point in mind...
"The Foreign Trained Dentist program leads to a certificate. This certificate allows you to take the board exam to practice dentistry in Florida. It may be accepted by the boards of other states in the US. Check with other states to see if they will accept the certificate. This program does not lead to a dental degree."
jus lettin ya'll know

 

[NileBDS]

Hi NileBDS

I have read ur post of university of colorado and it has been very helpful to me.
Since uve been a constant source of help on this forum i wld like to ask u a few questions more. I hope u wont mind.
Cld u pls tell me whether the u colorado practical exam was on bench top or on mannequin.
I mean were we suppose to perform them (cavity prep and crown cutting) using direct vision or indirect vision.
Also, regarding the interview was it personal one or u were asked clinical questions also.
If u know the names of waxes given to u and cld tell me tha wld be great as i can get and idea of wot to expect and will help me at last moment panic .
Please help me with following questions.
Thanks a lot

Good question.
Sorry I forgot to mention that in my post.
For the Colorado interview, we were required to do the preps on a mannequin (Dentoform mounted in a dummy head). The same goes for the University of Florida interview.
At the Pacific however, it was a "desktop" exam, where you were allowed to hold the dentoform in your hands, or on the lab bench while performing the required preps.
As for the University of Colorado wax exercises, it's nothing you really can prepare for, even if you knew ahead of time the types of wax. Generally, these "dexterity skill" exercises are meant to measure your psycho-motor skills, and not your acquired skills. It is intended to be that way. That is the whole purpose of dexterity exercises.
Having said that, I remember that we were given blue, green, red and orange
waxes, with different exercises on each type.
I should also mention that these wax exercises had nothing to do with dental lab procedures ie; wax patterns or inlays. Nothing like that.
If scheduled for an interview, you will receive a detailed package, outlining everything that will be required from you to do, and you can always call CU directly to clarify any unclear information.
I am glad I was able to help.
Alright, all the best and GOOD LUCK !

 

[Nehaa]

Hello everyone
I would love to help out. I know what it's like going to your first interview. It's like you're about to hit a brick wall, and you don't know when.
I interviewed a UOP and UColorado so far. Here's what I have to say
(wait listed at both schools by the way);

1) Interview experience (eg. what questions you were asked)
UOP: Very delightful. Everything was carefully organized, and the staff were ok. They try their best to be helpful and put the interviewees at ease.
Q's: Tell me about your school, why UOP, why pay so much money for school, what are your future plans.
UC: Hmm ... let me just put it this way. UOP was much better organized. This is UC 3rd class for the advanced standing program, so they have limited experience with this kind of program. And boy, does it show.
I would not expect much. I will be re-applying anyways. I need my degree plus the University has a very good reputation.
Q's: How did you know about our program, Do you plan on staying in colorado, what are your future plans, what did you do while assisting, tell me about your family. More personaly Q's if anything.
2) Practical exam (eg. what you were asked to do)
UOP: #8 PFM, #30-MO Amal. (prep only)
UC: #3 PFM, #30-MO Amal. (prep only), several "wax" excercises. They give you two types of wax (red and orange) and ask you to make different shapes of wax on a piece of paper/card they give you. Also they give you a rod of green wax/compound and ask you to carve a box into it.
So as you see, it's nothing you can prepare for. But you will have plenty of time.

3) How you prepared for the practical exam
UOP: Practice at office. At UOP they will give you a booklet detailing every single step of the preps. which they will ask of you to perform, and it is very detailed. No worries there. Just stay calm.
UC: Practice at office.

Interviews: UOP, UC, NYU, UF
Declined NYU (last year), going to UF interview this month.
Accepted: ?

hai,
u have mentioned to practise at office. what does that really means?
for which academic year did u attend interview?
I too have applied for coloradofor 2007. waiting for it.
I am not even attending any clinic here. will it be useful for practising if i attend clinic. please let me know. thank u soo much for all the information in these forums. was very helpful.
Nehaa.

 

[NileBDS]

hai,
u have mentioned to practise at office. what does that really means?
for which academic year did u attend interview?
I too have applied for coloradofor 2007. waiting for it.
I am not even attending any clinic here. will it be useful for practising if i attend clinic. please let me know. thank u soo much for all the information in these forums. was very helpful.
Nehaa.

Hey there Nehaa.
Well, if and when you get a Colorado interview, you should be informed about what to expect on the day of the interview as far as the clinical exam and personal interview go.
Last year we were informed ahead of time what cases would be asked of us and how the personal interviews would be conducted.
As for myself, I was interviewed last year (July) for the class entering last January (class of 2008).
After learning of the cases required on the clinical interview, I went out and bought some ivorine teeth, burs and most of what I needed. I then borrowed a handpiece and started practising at the office I was working at.
Try to get a good feeling for the ivorine teeth BEFORE your interview. They can be quite tricky and do not simulate human teeth as their manufacturers would like to think.
Anyways, just try to get use to them.
Good Luck.

 

[DentalDocCa]

hi nile


Thanks for the information u shared about Colorado.i have tried to contact them but couldn't get them personally.
thanks

Hey there Nehaa.
Well, if and when you get a Colorado interview, you should be informed about what to expect on the day of the interview as far as the clinical exam and personal interview go.
Last year we were informed ahead of time what cases would be asked of us and how the personal interviews would be conducted.
As for myself, I was interviewed last year (July) for the class entering last January (class of 2008).
After learning of the cases required on the clinical interview, I went out and bought some ivorine teeth, burs and most of what I needed. I then borrowed a handpiece and started practising at the office I was working at.
Try to get a good feeling for the ivorine teeth BEFORE your interview. They can be quite tricky and do not simulate human teeth as their manufacturers would like to think.
Anyways, just try to get use to them.
Good Luck.

 

[NileBDS]

Hi there Dental.
Well, I will just go ahead and state the obvious. Your score is on the "less competitive" side. It is no secret.
I have no way in telling you how admission committees think or how they may view your application.
Anyways, the wait should not be much longer. I guess we will just have to wait and see.
I will also tell you that Colorado in specific give preference to applicants who have completed part II of the boards also.
I personally think that you would improve your chances substantially at Colorado by either improving your part I score or completing part II, or both.
Good Luck.

hi nile


Thanks for the information u shared about Colorado.i would like to know if i apply with my part 1 score of 78,gpa 3.8 and toefl 253,do i stand a chance of getting called for the interview.i have tried to contact them but couldn't get them personally.
thanks

 

[muscleman7911]

Hey.. one of the threads.. that most of us were looking forward to..

Have an open question...
would you people think it helps to take the crash course... in clinical dentistry.... dexterity course

duggans or studydent..

how useful would it be... for the clinical test in the interview procedure...

think it costs around.. 5-8ands with stay...


Advice needed

 

[sdent]

Hi NileBDS,

I have read your previous threads and i must say( as all say) that each one has been very helpful.
It feels real good to see that someone is so prompt and replying and giving such valuable info as well.

I'm still applying to various colleges... lets c wat happens.

I believe that the colleges will tell u about wat they ask in the practical exams. So, where can i practice for them.. just trying to gather the info before hand. please let me know.
But i was quite surprised that u had to keep calling them to ask about the interview calls?

Would u know about the dexterity test Loma Linda asks about?

Also, UCSF talks about a Basic Dental Assessment Test and Technical skill exam... could u give me more info on that.

Anyone who can shed some light on this.

Great job NileBDS

Thanx...
sdent

 

[NileBDS]

Hi there sdent.
You are too generous. Thanks for the nice words.

Well I personally was working at the time in a dental office (as an assistant ofcourse) and had the opportunity to stay after hours to practice for my clinical exam. They were nice enough to let me practice with their hand pieces. I purchased about 20 acrylic teeth and went at it ! I just started preparing whatever came to my mind and tried hard to regain my tactile touch, since it had been like 2 years since I had even held a handpiece.

Last year Colorado University seemed to be less organized than this year. I had to constantly call and ask about my application status, and just about when i was about to give up (since the interview was only 10 days away), I got the good news.
This year however, they seem to be on the ball. I got several letters from them (application confirmation, verification and interview invitation) all in time. Kudos Colorado.

I am very sorry to say that I have absolutely NO information about Loma Linda and UCSF. Blank. There are threads for both schools on here though, and I am sure you will be able to get some good feedback from either one of them.

Good luck with your applications, and it is good to know that you are preparing already. I personally wish I had knew about SDN earlier.

Hi NileBDS,

I have read your previous threads and i must say( as all say) that each one has been very helpful.
It feels real good to see that someone is so prompt and replying and giving such valuable info as well.

I'm still applying to various colleges... lets c wat happens.

I believe that the colleges will tell u about wat they ask in the practical exams. So, where can i practice for them.. just trying to gather the info before hand. please let me know.
But i was quite surprised that u had to keep calling them to ask about the interview calls?

Would u know about the dexterity test Loma Linda asks about?

Also, UCSF talks about a Basic Dental Assessment Test and Technical skill exam... could u give me more info on that.

Anyone who can shed some light on this.

Great job NileBDS

Thanx...
sdent

 

[sdent]

Hi Nile,

Thanks for the input, its always appreciated.

So, u think i should keep calling them to find out about my application status after i have sent them.
If the deadlines are in Sept, by when do they let know about the interview calls.

I am also struggling with some essays here, reagrding ur future dental goals and more.. Any advice on those is welcome always.

Thanx again

sdent

 

[compsongs]

Hi Nile,

Thanks for the input, its always appreciated.

So, u think i should keep calling them to find out about my application status after i have sent them.
If the deadlines are in Sept, by when do they let know about the interview calls.

I am also struggling with some essays here, reagrding ur future dental goals and more.. Any advice on those is welcome always.

Thanx again

sdent

What is a didactic test? For the practical exams in interviews, where can we learn or get practice?

Thanks

 

[NileBDS]

... and this one.

 

[g3k]

Hello all,
This is long overdue to my fellow SDN'ers. Thank you all so much esp. nilebds, gumpads, oral surgeon, Mekha, sumanvarireddi and lots more. I have been inactive for the past year as I did not want to write something until I was successful in getting an admission call from a university. So here goes my success story as a motivation to all you persistent FTDs. Note: persistent.

[ EDIT - Let me begin by saying this is my second round of attempt to get into a two year program. First time I got one interview out of 10. Second time I got 8 out of 9 and out of the 8 - got accepted into 3, waitlisted at 2 and rejected at 2; yet to hear from 1 - well now I may not attend the interview at UMich . What did I do? Improved my scores and added some work experience and modified my personal statement to fit the school; last but not the least got wonderful recommendation letters. I still made a mistake – I did not prepare for most of the interviews especially the California ones. I was the perfect candidate on paper (that's what got me so many interviews) but did not present myself so (that's what got me so few accepatnces). Please do not repeat it. It is disheartening especially after all the hardwork. Make a list of possible questions and turn it into a conversation. Remember the way to prepare for an interview is for you to sit down write out the answers to all the questions and then for you to turn it into a conversation… so practice like it is a natural answer practice practice practice… remember you are being interviewed not your husband not your friend not your brother it is you! Also, if you want to be accepted at a California school, even considered – PRACTICE your hand skills! ]

I am writing this like a diary as every day, or I should put interview, goes by for two reasons. One, I give you an unbiased opinion of each school as I am not accepted into any school yet and two, I don't forget what happened at each school. Remember, I am writing down what I see in each school as pros and cons, which, you might see the same pros and cons as cons and pros respectively. Also my concern is clinical experience. I am a relatively fresh graduate and do not have any clinical experience in my home country except for the compulsory internship. So, what I am looking in a school, is the best clinical education I could get, for the money I am spending. So no school is the best and no school can be ranked overall. It all boils down to what you want – cheapest? shortest? best preclinical? best clinical? specialization? research? and so on. And mine is best clinical education – maximum number of patients I can treat. So as per my rating of schools for clinical experience would be any of these five - UCSF, Pacific, UPenn, UMich and UMN - all have the best clinical education.

 

[g3k]

UIC – It was a good experience. School tour and interview that's all.

The interview - I had two, one with an Admissions Committee member (15 minute completely personal interview) and the other with the directors of the program (1 hr dental related and personal interview). When I say dental related it was a series of tooth preparations that you have to evaluate and a case history that you have to solve.

Pros –
Not bad tuition
Down to earth people
Relatively good experience
Great for in state students
Real world situation/ experience in clinics
Excellent faculty
Good research experience
Lots of specialities - opportunities to do externships

Cons -
Not very good clinical experience – almost like a lottery system for patients
No graduating clinical requirements - depends on the group you are assigned to.
They don't respond too quickly to emails even after you are admitted into the program.

 

[g3k]

Upenn – Awesome school, very friendly people. It was a day’s interview that started with some history and pride of
Philadelphia. There were three interviews all personal one-on one. Remember if they are picking at the faults in your application, they just want to know more about you. How you face criticism. Just answer those like you would to a friend. They are really nice people.
Pros – Awesome program.
Lots of opportunities to do research and externships.
You have two months off during the program to do what you want to – externships, research, vacation … whatever
Amazing patient pool
State of the art dentsim lab
Amazing faculty
Plus they have the ADLEX… So you could take your state licensing exam at Penn. You don’t need to come back home and look for patients and plus you can retake it if you fail it. So no after program time wasted!!
Cons - Expensive
The clinic and the preclinical lab are both suffocating. I felt like I needed some air to breathe.
You never know what they are looking for, so present your best self as your best package, if it is for you it will
happen!

 

[g3k]

UCSF - Awesome school, very friendly people. It was 3 days interview that started with a written component that was around 120 questions .. study your prostho textbook and perio textbook. Look at all the diagrams possible… know the basic anatomy on a radiograph. Its very basic if possible go through your decks. The second day was the practical examination. We were asked to do an upper and lower molar gold crown preps. They give you all the details 1 month prior to your interview detailing every step in the procedure handout… read it in and out and know it like the back of your hand. I didn’t get to practice a whole lot. A friend of mine walked me through the steps and that’s about it. I practiced just one time before the exam. So if you can get some hands on practice that will help. During the exam do not use the hand instrument as a wedge… take it slowly you have plenty of time. Do not take any instruments. Use only that is provided. Whatever they give is more than sufficient. The personal interview was very nice … general question tell me about yourself, tell me about your family and they basically want to know your history. Tell me about yourself is a very broad question ranging from you as a person to your history. So if you are unsure about what to answer just start with yourself as a person and they will automatically say oh no we want your life history and then you can go to that.
Pros – Awesome program.
Lots of opportunities to do research and externships.
You have two months off during the program to do what you want to.
Amazing patient pool
State of the art dentsim lab
Amazing faculty
Excellent clinical experience with some extra experience at the Buchanan center .. sounds fun but don’t know how much in reality it is fun.
Lots of opportunities to do double degrees
Great specializing rates
Lots of opportunities
Cons -
Expensive
The lady at the dental bookstore is slightly rude… expect that. Otherwise everyone is nice esp. Mary Pham.

 

[g3k]

Pacific – The great or so it is called.Very very very friendly! Very stress free though that day wasn't good for me … you know one of those days where everything goes wrong! But they still made every effort to make it nice for me. The first day is orientation .. dress up like you are going to attend a fashion show... they are all so well dressed. Second/ Third day is your interview. Your time slot is given according to alphabetical order of your last name .. so if your last name is in S or V or so on expect it to be on the third day. The last day was the practical exam. They had as usual the Class II on lower molar and a PFM on a central incisor. The articulator was not equilibrated.. so don't panic .. if you want you can tell them or write a note on the card they give you. But I didn't. don't think it was necessary especially when they give you the liberty to take the maxillary and mandibular typodonts separate when you work…. Again it's your call.

Pros -
Friendly school
Everyone seems to be happy
Great/ huge alumni .. networking
Their mission – to make you the best general practioner you can
be .. and they work on it
They too offer dual degree programs .. correct me if I am wrong
State of the art technology
If ADA has accredited their regular dental program to be completed
in three years that means there is something commendable about
them.
They mentor you towards the Regional licensing exam you want to
take .. if its Wreb they will help you prepare for that. If it NERB
they will help you prepare towards that

Cons -
Expensive (most expensive second to NYU)
Not very high specialization rate
Not a lot of research opportunities…
Can't really find anything wrong about this school… I think its more because their mission is to make their students to be wonderful GPs and they work on that! They don't promise what they cannot do.

Edit - Some extra information from one of the students attending Pacific-
Well, about the clinical experience at Pacific ... I just don't know what to say. It truly is overwhelming. I mean just an example, my seniors have been in the clinic for only about 9 months now, and on average have been assigned 50-60 patients each ... so far ... they still have about 7 more months to go before they graduate.To get to your point, the clinical experience has been just amazing so far.
Faculty faculty faculty. They really make all the difference.
As for competency based learning, it is true that it is for the pre-clinical courses, but it extends into the clinic as well. No evaluation is based mostly on the competency feedback/assessment you receive. You have to "graduate" from one procedure in order to do the next, until you finally graduate. It is nothing too complicated really, just a more thorough evaluation approach. As a more simplistic example, you can not proceed to a Class II preparation on a patient before you have mastered a Class I. Makes sense ... and so on and so forth.
Clinical requirements are very demanding. I do not have specific numbers, but I am told that they are more than a hand (and mouth) full. If you are not in lectures, you will be in the clinic. If you are not in the clinic, you will be in the lab (doing your own lab work - aesthetic wax-ups, partial and complete dentures, mounting study models, ...). If you are not in any of the above ones, you are probably in bed recharging for the following day. They really eat, breath and dream about clinical work, deadlines and requirements.
As you mentioned also, Ortho and Maxillofacial being the only specialties, the students get to do the rest of the specialty work. Even the Maxillofacial guys are not even in the same building as us. They spend most of their time in the hospital miles away from us.
If you want to do impacted molar extractions, they will guide you. If you want to do perio surgery, they will guide you. Endo molars, implants ... it all boils down to how much you can handle !

 

[g3k]

USC – The interview was two days. The first day was three case based questions .. something along the lines .. your patient comes to the clinic with this problem. He desire esthetics and minimal tooth reduction or an amalgam restoration or so on. Determine the appropriate indirect/ direct restoration you could do and prepare the tooth accordingly. There were three questions and 6 hours!! That's a lot of time! Second day was a PBL interview where they give you a case history in pieces of information (totally 4). Its not the answer they are looking for. It is how you get to the process of the answer. So forget the answer. Don't ask me or anyone what it was, because if you do so you will end up in made up thoughts and that's not what you want. It is obvious to the proctors whether you have the answers with you or not. So work your way through. Its nice .. it almost like you are a detective trying to find the culprit in team work.. and that's really fun to do .. I would call it the dentistry version of the program HOUSE .. Hugh Laurie ( He is HOT!!! ).

Pros - Good school… simply love the PBL system. We all know our theory .. atleast most of us .. what we have got to know is how to solve a case. I think the PBL curriculum is very intriguing (maybe not the right word). I can't say a lot about this school. Two reasons… I was too tired by the time I got to this interview and two I couldn't talk to anyone really about this school. I am still doing my research on this school. As I find more I will tell you guys.

Cons –
From the interview I realized there was zero personalization (maybe not the right word again).
Also, heard some cheating was going on there with the proctors helping the applicants during the practical exam. I don't know how much that would help but still gives a hand over someone not being helped… which I think is unfair.

 

[g3k]

BU – Completely personal interview! Yes their criteria is 90 and above…. So you can be sure of admission into this school if you have a 90 and above whereas it doesn't work that way in the other schools… though I don't agree with this criteria because I think its simple to get a 95 + if you sit at home and prepare for 6 months (like most of us married Indian women do ). I think we are capable of achieving more than that … I know the reason everyone is going to give is - "I am on H4 I cannot do anything" Well, be glad you are on H4. I was on change of status .. means no status for 10 months and I volunteered at a free dental clinic... it was tiring! No driver's license... had to take the public transport for 4 hours everyday. Anyway, let me not bore you with my life story . What I want to say is hardwork pays in some form. So if there is a will there is a way... don't say you don't have anything to do etc. if you are really set on something you can achieve whatever you think is impossible.
Back to the topic - I really liked the school.
PROS -
Yes a lot of preclinical, but they do have amazing faculty. There is one Dr. Mcmanama (sp? … sorry Dr. if you are reading this) .. everyone praises him like he is god and probably he is! So some excellent faculty.
Great mentor programs
They train you to WREB.
Nice city.
Everything is computerized and modern technology
Cheapest program in the country after Lomalinda.
CONS -

Overall I think the school is GREAT!! except of the very less clinical experience – we see around 10 patients only when we graduate! I don't that is going to make me competent!

Edit - Great Research opportunities. Only thing is you have to allocate 12 hours a week for research (it is mandatory) and maintain a B+ to remain in the program.

 

[g3k]

UMN –
Awesome school, very friendly people. It was a day’s interview that started with some history and pride of
Minnesota. There were three interviews all personal one-on one. Again, remember if they are picking at the faults in your application, they just want to know more about you. How you face criticism. Just answer those like you would to a friend. They are really nice people.
Pros – Awesome program.
Lots of opportunities to do research and externships.
Amazing patient pool – over 5 community rotations – lots of exepreince – we see almost 50 to 60 patients when we graduate! You also have a chance to go abroad for a couple months! I think that’s cool!
State of the art dentsim lab being built
Only school that said we have more chairs than students!! That was hilarious when I heard that!
Amazing faculty
I don’t know if they have ADLEX… I will find that out.
Dr Berthold is for Advanced standing as Dr. Dugoni is for the regular dental program.
Cons - New program… so you maybe doubtful about the quality but I am not
Weather – I hate it ! Gave me a headache
You never know what they are looking for, so present your best self as your best package, if it is for you it will
happen!

 

[g3k]

UMICH –
They did call me this year… I am not sure if I am going to go. I attended the interview last year. I don't clearly remember but I will write what I remember. The day starts with an introduction and program overview. Followed by Multiple – Mini Interviews. You will go through 6 stations 10 minutes at each. At two you will have a written scenario – read and give YOUR opinion - let your answers be casual, confident and crisp. At one is a role play – basically you have a written scenario. You read it and then assume that the interviewer in front of you is the other person in the scenario and act out the play. If you have no clue of what they are talking about, you can explain the situation. At two they ask you ethical questions related to dentistry like X-ray exposure or holistic dentistry and you give them your opinion again. The last one is a general 10 minute conversation with an interviewer – what do you like about dentistry?, what you don't like?, tell me about yourself and where are you from and so on .. personal interview. Lunch with the students followed by OSCE – which is basically treatment planning. They give you everything – case history, models, radiographs etc and ask you questions based on either treatment planning, or what is the mistake, or calculating some insurance costs, or some oral pathology question and so on. There are 10 station in total with 20 minutes at each station. It is very tiring! Next day is the practical exam – class II, classII with fill, molar endo access preparation, PFM, Class IV… they change it every year. The previous year they had 9 or 10 preparations in 4 hours! We got lucky last year with 4 or 5. Then we meet and talk with the director and Ms. Pattie Katcher. Talk… they want you to talk … ask questions and know more about the school.

PROS – Excellent clinical experience. Similar to the UMN program with lots community programs
Great faculty
Intensive summer semester for preclinical
I don't remember a whole lot but I was definitely impressed with the school

CONS – New program (relatively)
Weather – it is freezing cold

 

[g3k]

In the end to summarize, I would say no school is the best school … it all boils down to what you want out of the schools. If you want the cheapest .. probably Boston is the best. If you want excellent clinical experience .. California schools, Minnesota, Penn and Michigan are all great schools. If you want help with your licensing exams, then Penn, Pacific and Boston are schools you can look into.If you want to specialize.. Penn, UCSF and Michigan are great schools…. See it all comes to what you want.

So my best advice would be … work towards your part 1 and improve your resume, get great recommendation letters from the US. Once you get that done, send in all your applications by end of August. Don’t wait for each school’s deadline, early applications help. Know what you want from your education. Know what you want to be. Research on every school - find if it gives you what you want. Still apply to every school even if some schools do not give what you want. Something is better than nothing. But aim for the best on your list. BASICALLY KNOW WHAT YOU WANT AND KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING.
Let the interviews roll in. September start preparing for the interviews .. answer and master basic questions llike :
1) Tell me about yourself
2) Why you?
3) Why this school?
4) Do you want to specialize?
5) What do you do for fun?
6) Have you read any book recently?
7) What have you done or completed back home .. what kind of crowns, what kind of endo work etc?
8) Why are your scores low in this section .. that is a given question?
9) What have you been doing in the US?
10) What did you do in your home country ?

Prepare answers that you can CONVERSE for three minutes for each of the above and master them… don’t cram them that should come out of your mouth like you meant every word you said... and it should be like you are talking to a friend... so keep repeating these answers and you will converse with your interviewer and not answer their questions. Talk to as many strangers as you can… it helps. And please don't be so sensitive. They are going to ask you faults in your application... why are these scores low, why no work experience.... all they want to know is why couldn't you do it and does your answer justify the situation enough to give you a seat over some student who has gotten such great scores, has an extra degree, more work experience and probably a research scientist! Now tell me - if you are hiring someone, why would you hire someone who has a 96 when you can hire someone who has a 92 with some experience in the field? So, don't be sensitive. It doesn't work in the US. Keep your feelings aside and talk like you are the best. Tell them what happened when things went wrong. Be sure and confident of yourself. If it doesn't work.. it's probably not meant for you.
Let me show you an example - http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=349317 read that thread and see how insensitive replies are floating around and the OP doesn't care! That's how we must be. Take everything lightly.


Prepare for your practicals. Practice the following :

1) Class II amalgam
2) PFM on anterior
3) Molar Gold crown prep upper and lower
4) 3/4 and 7/8 crown ( if you know full gold crown preps on the molars ¾ and 7/8 are easy)
5) Onlay prep on molars
6) PFM premolar
7) Amalgam fill and carve


Rules I learnt was important in practical…
1)Never nick the adjacent tooth. Use a matrix band or wedge if you can (you can use it in every school except usc… they are particular that you don’t use anything.. they disqualified a student’s work because of that…)
2)And please don’t even ask this stupid question of whether you can unscrew the tooth if your preparation went wrong .. no you can not! We are all dentists only difference being we can work in another country.. if you screw up on a patient’s tooth can you tell the patient guess what I nicked your adjacent tooth or I prepared the cavity on the wrong tooth, so let me extract both the teeth and replace it??? I think that is the most absurd question I have ever come across. Before asking questions please do think!
3) Under preparation is far better than over preparation … Make mistakes that are adjustable. Don’t err on the side that is irreversible.
4) In problem based questions like the one at USC… remember every answer is correct as long as you make your preps well.



My ideal school would be a 24 - 28 month program that would give you the opportunity to externships for specialization/ research / vacation for one month each year whatever you would prefer, with a PBL curriculum and excellent faculty and the training you need to get your licensing exam .. its hard to get all in one school and that’s why each school is unique in its own way … maybe one day I will start a school that gives all these… but again you all readers there may not like this combination. So which is the best school? Which ranked number 1? - The school that accepts you and the school that gives you what you want.

So good luck all!!

 

[spshyam]

Extraordinary job.
Hats off to you.

 

[g3k]

Thanks spshyam...
Also, if any student in the school currently wants to add some pros or cancel some cons in my posts, please, do post here and I will edit my post if it is completely wrong on my side.
I do have pros from a friend of mine from Pacfic... I will add it to my post later.

 

[cheer_up]

Hey g3k,

Thanks a lot for your very informative posts. A well done job, indeed. Best of luck with your future endeavours.

 

[OMFSrules]

hi g3k,
what an amazing job u have done just summarising your experiences for the benefit of others ,just wonderful .what you have written is invaluable advice and has just left me longing for words .THANK YOU
keep posting so your experience will help others and the good work just continues .i am in the same boat i applied this year to 5 schools just got 1 interview (BU) but not heard anything from them yet and i was so dejected then i come across your thread and voila you give me a ray of hope,just one question how did you prepare for the west coast practicals, please guide us as to how you prepared for the case presentations etc etc
once again fantastic job

 

[tumkam]

thanks a lot, we wish u all the best & u do deserve the best.
thanks for the info, & we need more posts like this one.
best wishes to u....

 

[orthowiz]

A very sincere effort. Good Luck.

 

[dentist79]

Hey G3K
Wonderful buddy....hats off to you...very well done and informative thread...thanks...good luck to you...

 

[dr g]

great post g3k

 

[dds_aspirant]

All these posts are really a very good posts. Thank you so much. You have been so thorough about all the schools, pros and cons. It will surely help everyone a lot.

Thanks a lot and good luck with your future endeavours.

In the end to summarize, I would say no school is the best school … it all boils down to what you want out of the schools. If you want the cheapest .. probably Boston is the best. If you want excellent clinical experience .. California schools, Minnesota, Penn and Michigan are all great schools. If you want help with your licensing exams, then Penn, Pacific and Boston are schools you can look into.If you want to specialize.. Penn, UCSF and Michigan are great schools…. See it all comes to what you want.

So my best advice would be … work towards your part 1 and improve your resume, get great recommendation letters from the US. Once you get that done, send in all your applications by end of August. Don’t wait for each school’s deadline, early applications help. Know what you want from your education. Know what you want to be. Research on every school - find if it gives you what you want. Still apply to every school even if some schools do not give what you want. Something is better than nothing. But aim for the best on your list. BASICALLY KNOW WHAT YOU WANT AND KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING.
Let the interviews roll in. September start preparing for the interviews .. answer and master basic questions llike :
1) Tell me about yourself
2) Why you?
3) Why this school?
4) Do you want to specialize?
5) What do you do for fun?
6) Have you read any book recently?
7) What have you done or completed back home .. what kind of crowns, what kind of endo work etc?
8) Why are your scores low in this section .. that is a given question?
9) What have you been doing in the US?
10) What did you do in your home country ?

Prepare answers that you can CONVERSE for three minutes for each of the above and master them… don’t cram them that should come out of your mouth like you meant every word you said... and it should be like you are talking to a friend... so keep repeating these answers and you will converse with your interviewer and not answer their questions. Talk to as many strangers as you can… it helps. And please don't be so sensitive. They are going to ask you faults in your application... why are these scores low, why no work experience.... all they want to know is why couldn't you do it and does your answer justify the situation enough to give you a seat over some student who has gotten such great scores, has an extra degree, more work experience and probably a research scientist! Now tell me - if you are hiring someone, why would you hire someone who has a 96 when you can hire someone who has a 92 with some experience in the field? So, don't be sensitive. It doesn't work in the US. Keep your feelings aside and talk like you are the best. Tell them what happened when things went wrong. Be sure and confident of yourself. If it doesn't work.. it's probably not meant for you.
Let me show you an example - http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=349317 read that thread and see how insensitive replies are floating around and the OP doesn't care! That's how we must be. Take everything lightly.


Prepare for your practicals. Practice the following :

1) Class II amalgam
2) PFM on anterior
3) Molar Gold crown prep upper and lower
4) 3/4 and 7/8 crown ( if you know full gold crown preps on the molars ¾ and 7/8 are easy)
5) Onlay prep on molars
6) PFM premolar
7) Amalgam fill and carve


Rules I learnt was important in practical…
1)Never nick the adjacent tooth. Use a matrix band or wedge if you can (you can use it in every school except usc… they are particular that you don’t use anything.. they disqualified a student’s work because of that…)
2)And please don’t even ask this stupid question of whether you can unscrew the tooth if your preparation went wrong .. no you can not! We are all dentists only difference being we can work in another country.. if you screw up on a patient’s tooth can you tell the patient guess what I nicked your adjacent tooth or I prepared the cavity on the wrong tooth, so let me extract both the teeth and replace it??? I think that is the most absurd question I have ever come across. Before asking questions please do think!
3) Under preparation is far better than over preparation … Make mistakes that are adjustable. Don’t err on the side that is irreversible.
4) In problem based questions like the one at USC… remember every answer is correct as long as you make your preps well.



My ideal school would be a 24 - 28 month program that would give you the opportunity to externships for specialization/ research / vacation for one month each year whatever you would prefer, with a PBL curriculum and excellent faculty and the training you need to get your licensing exam .. its hard to get all in one school and that’s why each school is unique in its own way … maybe one day I will start a school that gives all these… but again you all readers there may not like this combination. So which is the best school? Which ranked number 1? - The school that accepts you and the school that gives you what you want.

So good luck all!!